[Tactical Coffee Action]

[old_papa_john]

[Big Boss is seated at a table in the Nexus' coffee shop as he is nearly every day. He's having a cup of joe and a peach tart while he casually reads, or tries to. It looks like he has an issue of Eye Spy magazine. His thoughts are wandering between articles as he contemplates what to do, if he can do anything, about David's personal situation and

Comments

[comp_kunoichi]

[Two apple strudels and a cup of jasmine tea paired with a nice, cozy book about Japanese ghost stories... Emma was the picture of East meets West.]

[old_papa_john]

[The old man quirks a brow at the young lady. Why does she look so familiar? He's wracking his brain trying to remember...]

[comp_kunoichi]

[The feeling of being watched. She knew it well. Blue eyes lifted above the top of her book, and she glanced around, settling on the older man sitting a ways away.]

[Funny... He looked kind of familiar.]

[old_papa_john]

[Once he's busted, he averts his gaze then casually looks back to his magazine.]

...

[comp_kunoichi]

[But why did she feel like he'd met him be- Oh. Wait... That couldn't be Old Snake. He had a bigger beard. So who...]

[...]

[Could it be? Older man. Faded brunette. Looks like Snake, but not really. Whole manner of carrying himself to subtle to be Liquid. It had to be Big Boss.]

[old_papa_john]

[He turns a page then picks up his peach tart and takes a bite. He's got this distinct feeling that he's still being watched, but that's alright. The old man has gotten used to the stares.]

[comp_kunoichi]

[Emma closed her book quiety, setting it on the table. Summoning some courage, she cleared her throat.]

Big Boss…?

[old_papa_john]

Yes?

[He looks up from his magazine to the girl once again.]

[comp_kunoichi]

[The smallest blush creeped onto her cheeks.]

I…wasn't sure if it was you. I've only met your younger alternate… [But why did he look sold? Hadn't he died a while ago?]

Oh! Where are my manners? [She tried playing off her embarassment with a laugh.] My name is Emma Emmerich.

[old_papa_john]

Nice to meet you, Emma.

[He nods to her, then pauses.]

"Emmerich"? So, you much be Huey's Granddaughter?

[comp_kunoichi]

[And she nodded in return.]

Stepdaughter, actually. [Huey wasn't that old. Not the way she remembered him.] My mom married him when I was little.

[old_papa_john]

I see.

[He nods now that it all makes sense. Seeing her face reminds him of years past and what now seems like the few fleeting moments he spent with the man.]

Yes. You remind me of him...very much. [As he speaks, his tone almost sounds wistful.]

[comp_kunoichi]

[Which was a good sign to Emma. In all the time she'd ever heard Huey speak of his past, he never once mentioned Big Boss. This was a revelation worth exploring.]

I wish I could say that...Huey had mentioned you to Hal and I. He was always very secretive about the sorts of things that went on before we were born. All we ever really found out was that he had made something very bad and it took a while to make things right.

[old_papa_john]

...Yes.

[John's heart sinks at the mention of the things that went down long ago. He does his best to keep his spirits up, but the guilt he feels makes his heart ache.]

In my time, yes, things have finally been set right. [At least there's that.]

[comp_kunoichi]

Some of which I managed to be a part of, if what I've been hearing is true.

[Perhaps she should have kept quiet about the events in Costa Rica... The last thing Emma wanted to do was make him upset.]

May I...ask what my father was like?

[old_papa_john]

...Hn.

[He quirks a brow at her question, but he tries to answer it the best of his ability from his own recollection.]

He was a bit shy, but he was well-educated and did many amazing things with his research.